The growth in China's auto sales has slowed sharply this year, but Chinese consumers still want to buy cars.

According to a survey by the market research firm Nielsen Co., 27 percent of the respondents polled plan to purchase a car within a year, while 39 percent expect to buy a car in the next one to two years. And nearly 94 percent of respondents intend to buy a car in the short- or long-term.

The survey shows continued consumer interest in car-buying despite the recent cooling of China's auto market. In the first six months of this year, sales rose 3.3 percent, compared with a 32 percent increase in 2010.

The respondents ranked safety as their top consideration when it comes to buying a car. Price was the second most important consideration, followed by quality.

Twenty-seven percent of the respondents said that they would consider electric cars or plug-in hybrids if gasoline prices go up. But only 45 percent of the respondents were familiar with hybrids, and only 38 percent knew electric vehicles well.